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Alan Oscroft

Alan is a freelance writer who began writing for The Motley Fool in the late 1990s. He has been a private investor for more 30 years, and has explored a number of strategies, settling on high-yielding blue-chip shares.

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

Here’s why I’m buying dividend shares in a recession

| Alan Oscroft

I invest in dividend shares for the long term. And I think switching strategy just because there's a recession would…

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Investing Articles

The Direct Line share price fall has pushed the dividend up to 10%!

| Alan Oscroft

The Direct Line share price has regained a bit of lost ground, even though fears of a recession are being…

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Young Caucasian woman with pink her studying from her laptop screen
Investing Articles

Is the Petrofac share price set to climb?

| Alan Oscroft

The Petrofac share price has been up and down all year as investors can't make up their minds. December's trading…

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White female supervisor working at an oil rig
Investing Articles

Is the 88 Energy (88E) share price set to climb?

| Alan Oscroft

The 88 Energy (LON:88E) share price has had a very volatile few years. But is there a huge oil find…

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Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

The Santander share price is climbing. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Despite a weak 12 months, the Santander share price has been showing a bit of recent strength. I think I…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy 4,000 shares of this stock, for £100 in monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

I'm taking a look today at one of the FTSE 100 stocks that I hold in my long-term passive income…

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Trader on video call from his home office
Investing Articles

Should I buy Woodbois shares right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Woodbois shares are close to their 52-week low now. I'm wondering if the renewable hardwood producer might be an attractive…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Should I buy Cineworld shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

Cineworld shares are back in the news again, after the company's latest update. But am I looking at a good…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

I’d buy 56,000 shares of this stock, for £100 in monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Some investors go for growth shares, while others invest for dividends. It's the latter for me, aiming for long-term passive…

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Young Black man sat in front of laptop while wearing headphones
Investing Articles

3 things that could boost the Darktrace share price

| Alan Oscroft

The Darktrace share price has had a very shaky ride this year. What might it take for it to settle…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Should I buy more of these FTSE shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

When it comes to a new investment in the FTSE, I'm very tempted to top up on one of these…

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Young Caucasian woman with pink her studying from her laptop screen
Investing Articles

Should I buy these UK shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

There are so many UK shares I like the look of, it's making my investment decisions difficult. Still, that's not…

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Young black woman using a mobile phone in a transport facility
Investing Articles

How to invest in a recession

| Alan Oscroft

How should the prospect of a looming recession, which might last a couple of years, impact the way we invest…

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A couple celebrating moving in to a new home
Investing Articles

Should I buy Persimmon shares today?

| Alan Oscroft

Persimmon shares have collapsed over the past 12 months. But with a newly cautious dividend policy in place, I think…

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Light bulb with growing tree.
Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy Woodbois shares today

| Alan Oscroft

I see a number of reasons to buy Woodbois shares now the price has fallen near its 52-week low, but…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

How I’d use the Warren Buffett method to aim for a million

| Alan Oscroft

Warren Buffett has beaten the stock market over the long term, which is a feat that surprisingly few fund managers…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy 10,300 shares of this stock for £100 in monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

I think the best way to secure lifelong passive income is to invest regularly in dividend-paying shares, starting as soon…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

3 popular penny shares to buy in November?

| Alan Oscroft

Is investing in penny shares a good thing to do in November? As we head towards a recession, there are…

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UK money in a Jar on a background
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 dividend stocks I’d buy in November

| Alan Oscroft

With a bit of cash to invest for generating income, I'm weighing up some dividend stocks with the best long-term…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Here’s why I’d start a Stocks & Shares ISA in November

| Alan Oscroft

A Stocks and Shares ISA might not be the most pressing thing for many people right now. But there are…

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Young Black man sat in front of laptop while wearing headphones
Investing Articles

The ITV share price is climbing again. Here’s why I’d buy

| Alan Oscroft

The ITV share price has had a disappointing 12 months, but it has started gaining again. And the stock offers…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Why is the Cineworld share price soaring?

| Alan Oscroft

After the Cineworld share price has trebled, is the troubled cinema chain back from the dead? And are the shares…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

Where will the Woodbois share price go next?

| Alan Oscroft

The Woodbois share price has had a pretty volatile ride in 2022. But that's nothing new for a company that…

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Mature Caucasian woman sat at a table with coffee and laptop while making notes on paper
Investing Articles

I’d buy 3,200 shares of this stock, for £100 in monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend yields are uncertain over the short term, especially today. But I think this could be a good one for…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

After the SSE share price slump, is the stock a buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

Energy shares are on a downer, as the prospect of a windfall tax has spooked the market. But I think…

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Front view of a mixed-race couple walking past a shop window and looking in.
Investing Articles

If I’d invested £1,000 in Boohoo shares 2 years ago, here’s how much I’d have now

| Alan Oscroft

My purchase of Boohoo shares back in 2020 has been one of my worst investments ever. Should I come up…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

These FTSE 100 dividend shares offer today’s biggest yields

| Alan Oscroft

The UK's economic outlook might be worsening, but you'd never know it just from looking at some of our top…

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Female Doctor In White Coat Having Meeting With Woman Patient In Office
Investing Articles

Here’s a cheap FTSE 250 growth stock I might buy for 2023

| Alan Oscroft

I don't buy a growth stock very often. But after a few ups and downs, I think this one might…

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Investing Articles

Does the Unilever share price make it one to buy for 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

The fallen Unilever share price is helping push the dividend yield up. And it's a long-term progressive dividend to start…

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Young happy people looking at sparklers in their hands on New Year's Eve
Investing Articles

3 cheap FTSE 100 shares to buy for 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

There are many fallen FTSE 100 shares around these days, and some of them are surely worth buying. These three…

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Front view photo of a woman using digital tablet in London
Investing Articles

The Next share price is picking up. Has it passed rock bottom?

| Alan Oscroft

There's surely only so far the Next share price can fall, isn't there? Things could change when we see the…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

FTSE 100, next stop 8,000 points?

| Alan Oscroft

It seemed like the FTSE 100 might be heading back above 7,000 points. But what might Footsie shares look like…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Does the HSBC share price make it the UK’s best bank stock now?

| Alan Oscroft

In contrast to the rest of the sector, the HSBC share price has risen in the past 12 months. But…

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Young female analyst working at her desk in the office
Investing Articles

The Greatland Gold share price is down to pennies. Should I buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Despite the possibility of continuing strong demand for gold, the Greatland Gold share price has had a bit of a…

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Cheerful young businesspeople with laptop working in office
Investing Articles

The ASOS share price is down 80%. Is it a no-brainer buy now?

| Alan Oscroft

The ASOS share price has collapsed in the past year. But Mike Ashley is buying, and he does seem to…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

How much passive income could I generate from Lloyds shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have been on a long slow slide, making headline returns look bad. But that can work wonders for…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

I’d buy 6,500 shares of this stock for £100 in monthly passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend yields that are reliable over the long term, that's what I want for building a passive income stream. Here's…

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Happy male couple looking at a laptop screen together
Investing Articles

Have we finally hit the turnaround point for Rolls-Royce shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have fallen further in 2022. Despite the latest stock market turmoil, might they have finally bottomed out?

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Young black woman in a wheelchair working online from home
Investing Articles

As the Woodbois share price drops below 3.5p, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Revenue in the third quarter has increased again, but the Woodbois share price has fallen further back from its 12-month…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

3 penny shares that are getting even cheaper

| Alan Oscroft

Investors often buy penny shares thinking they can't fall any lower. Here are three that did just that, but they…

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